Method and Apparatus for a Service Control Layer

1. A method for managing a service message in a service system, said method comprising: receiving a service message during a service session; converting the service message into a common format so that the service message data is common for all types of service message; utilizing a state machine mechanism instantiated for the service session and executing within a service control layer to intercept the service message; selecting a rule group from a plurality of rule groups depending on a state of the service session, wherein the state of the service session is determined using the state machine mechanism executing within the service control layer; evaluating the service message based upon the rule group; selecting a control service from plurality of control services; instructing the selected control service according to one or more of the rules from the selected rules group applied to the service message; and the state machine mechanism selectively executing the control service based upon a result of the evaluating step.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising forwarding the message to the destination or retaining the message for processing depending on if the message is listed on an optimization list, wherein the optimization list is amended according to one or more rules from the selected rules group, and wherein the optimization list is amended after each message is processed.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising: determining that the received service message is an initial request message for the service session; determining a termination of the service session; and upon determining the termination, discarding the state machine instance.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the control service is selected from the plurality of control services based on information in the service message and optionally the control service is selected based on a consumer preference referenced by consumer information in the service message.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising building a control instruction according to the one or more rules from the selected rules group applied to the service message and optionally further comprising adding one or more control instructions to a control sequence list for instructing one or more control services.

6. A service control system for managing a message in a service oriented architecture system, said service control system comprising: an interface for intercepting service messages utilizing a state machine mechanism executing within a service control layer; a service selector for selecting a rule group from a plurality of rule groups depending on a state of a service session for each intercepted service message, wherein the state of the service session is determined using the state machine mechanism executing within the service control layer, and for evaluating each of the intercepted service messages based on the selected rule group, and for converting the service messages into a common format so that the service message data is common for all types of service message; a controller for selecting a control service from a plurality of control services and instructing the selected control service according to one or more of the rules from the selected rules group applied to the service message; and wherein the state machine mechanism selectively executes control services based upon results of the evaluating.

7. A service control system according to claim 6 further comprising means for forwarding the message to the destination or retaining the message for processing depending on if the message is listed on an optimization list, wherein the optimization list is amended according to one or more rules from the selected rules group, and wherein the optimization list is amended after each message is processed.

8. The service control system according to claim 6 , wherein said service control layer situationally takes control of a user service session when processing an initial request in accordance with said rule groups.

9. The service control system according to claim 6 , wherein the service control layer comprising said interface, said service selector and said controller is configured to function as a session bridging point between a service consumer utilizing a service and a service provider of the service, wherein the service control layer is configured to permit control services to be injected into an unmodified version of the service in accordance with the rule groups.

10. The service control system according to claim 6 wherein the control service is selected from the plurality of control services based on information in the service message and optionally the control service is selected based on a consumer preference referenced by consumer information in the service message.

11. A service control system according to claim 6 further comprising means for building a control instruction according to the one or more rules from the selected rules group applied to the service message and optionally further comprising adding one or more control instructions to a control sequence list for instructing one or more control enablers.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable recording medium having computer readable code stored thereon for managing a service message in a service oriented architecture system comprising a service provider, a service consumer and a plurality of control services, said computer readable code which when loaded onto a computer system and executed by at least one processor performs the following steps: receiving a service message during a service session; converting the service message into a common format so that the service message data is common for all types of service message; utilizing a state machine mechanism instantiated for the service session and executing within a service control layer to intercept the service message; selecting a rule group from a plurality of rule groups depending on a state of the service session, wherein the state of the service session is determined using the state machine mechanism executing within the service control layer; evaluating the service message based upon the rule group; selecting a control service from plurality of control services; instructing the selected control service according to one or more of the rules from the selected rules group applied to the service message; and the state machine mechanism selectively executing the control service based upon a result of the evaluating step.

13. A computer program product according to claim 12 further comprising forwarding the message to the destination or retaining the message for processing depending on if the message is listed on an optimization list, wherein the optimization list is amended according to one or more rules from the selected rules group, and wherein the optimization list is amended after each message is processed.

14. A computer program product according to claim 12 , said following steps further comprising: determining that the received service message is an initial request message for the service session; determining a termination of the service session; and upon determining the termination, discarding the state machine instance.

15. The computer program product according to claim 12 wherein the control service is selected from the plurality of control services based on information in the service message and optionally the control service is selected based on a consumer preference referenced by consumer information in the service message.

16. A computer program product according to claim 12 further comprising building a control instruction according to the one or more rules from the selected rules group applied to the service message and optionally further comprising adding one or more control instructions to a control sequence list for instructing one or more control enablers.